Der Blogger

"Enough is enough!" "This can't go on!" "This has to stop!" These were among the comments that came through the blizzard of commentary after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. We have heard these words before.

Wanderlust

As a travel destination, Germany has never been more popular. With tourist numbers forecast to rise for an eighth consecutive year, what is the country doing right to account for its thriving visitor numbers?

Akademia

For education experts, English language lessons have proven valuable in primary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. But the Alternative for Germany’s state parliamentary group in NRW have a rather different view.

Essen & Trinken

Police in the city of Osnabrück had to clear crowds in front of a new döner kebab shop on Tuesday, after about 150 hungry people packed the street outside, eager to get their hands on a döner for only €0.01.

Germericana

Many Americans have German ancestors — and that's also the case for actress Meghan Markle, who will be marrying Prince Harry, himself a descendant of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a German dynasty.

German Finance minister Schäuble bows out, convictions intact

Schäuble, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has been a controversial figure at the eurogroup meetings over the past few years, not least because of his insistence that countries requiring financial bailouts had to implement tough austerity measures, such as big spending cuts and tax increases, in return for the money.

His supporters, mainly in northern Europe, argue that Schäuble’s approach helped stabilize the euro currency in what was its biggest crisis since its launch in 1999. They note that no country has ditched the euro and of the bailed-out countries, all but Greece are standing on their own two feet. Even Greece, with its annual budget in much better shape is due to exit its bailout era next year.

Schäuble’s critics though have accused him of being cold-hearted and impervious to the damage wrought to vast sections of society from the austerity prescribed.

In return for the hundreds of billions of euros that allowed the bailed-out countries — Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus — to meet their debt obligations, governments have had to undertake wide-ranging reforms to their economies as well as pursuing strict budgetary constraint.

In Greece, the austerity has been widely blamed for a deep recession that saw the Greek economy lose a quarter of its output, and unemployment and poverty levels rise markedly.

“Eight years is enough,” said Schäuble as he entered the eurogroup meeting of the bloc’s 19 finance ministers in Luxembourg. “In a tough time, we kept the euro stable.”

Since the euro’s launch, Germany has always been the most-important member of the single currency bloc, both because of the size of its economy but also because of its well-earned reputation for financial stability over many decades.

Under Schäuble, the country’s power became even more pronounced, particularly with regard to Greece after its debt crisis exploded in the autumn of 2009.

In 2015, Greece came close to going bankrupt before the left-wing Greek government under new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras relented and accepted the country’s third international bailout on similar terms to the previous two.

“He played a crucial role,” said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the top official in the 19-country eurozone. “He will be missed,” Dijsselbloem said, before adding “his sternness sometimes.” He also said Schäuble was known for his advice “sometimes asked, sometimes unasked, but always welcome.”

Spain, which saw some of its banks bailed out during the crisis, had warm words, too.

“At the end of the day, he only looked to the best for the whole of the eurozone,” said Finance Minister Luis de Guindos.

Kultur

The German term "Heimat," often translated as "homeland," was long thought of as tacky, regressive, and even politically dubious. But since the election, German politicians across the spectrum are using it once again.

Das Kino

This month's Berlin film festival, Europe's first major cinema showcase in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, will shine a light on sexual misconduct in the industry, its director said on Tuesday.

Gesundheit

In the run-up to international World Cancer Day on Sunday, experts have said that about half of all cancer cases in Germany could be prevented by a healthier lifestyle. Across the country, around 500,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. But experts say things like exercise could cut this figure in half. “Movement can […]